BMW's new 3-Series will be "very similar in price" to the existing car when it is released in March, the manufacturer has said.
The current BMW 320i SE saloon sells, according to SIMI figures, at €48,250, rising to €58,500 for the 330i SE saloon but according to a BMW spokeswoman the new models "increase very little, if at all".
The major change with the new car will be in the powerplant offered in the base models. Whereas the current BMW 320i features a 2.2 litre, 168bhp engine, the new car will feature the four-cylinder 2.0 litre engine currently featured in the 318i and the 120i models and producing 20 bhp less.
The loss in performance will be offset by better economy and cheaper tax, although the loss in potency may upset devotees of BMW's six-cylinder powerplants.
The new 320 diesel, with the latest 2.0 litre turbodiesel, gets an increase in power, however, rising from the current 150bhp and 243l ft of torque to 161bhp and 251lb ft.
The 330i model will fetaure the 3.0 lite magnesium block unit from the 630i with an increase of 24bhp on the existing aluminium block engine and better fuel economy.
The biggest performance gain will come from the 2.5 litre which rises to 244bhp from 218bhp, though to get that six-cylinder note, you'll have to spend in the region of €52,000 for the 325i. Six-speed manual gearboxes will be featured across the range.
BMW will later add a new version of the 318i, with a smaller petrol unit than the current 2.0 litre engine and more diesel versions. The coupé and convertible cars will stay the same until 2006, although an estate version should debut in September.
First drive of the new 3-Series - next week in MOTORS